A Mission For Sabrina
by Olympian-Goddess
Summary: Sabrina has to go on a mission to keep all of the Everafters in Ferryport Landing. But, along the way, she is changing. Something is happening to her, and she can do nothing to stop it. ALMOST COMPLETELY REDONE. And of course the ever-present (slow, but satisfying) Puckabrina. Set in between the third and fourth book, but I messed with the ages a bit.
1. A Suspicious Breakfast Conversation

Sabrina awoke from her slumber to the sound of a rhinoceros. Well, that was what she thought it was at first. Turns out, Daphne had rolled into Sabrina as they slept and had snored in her ear quite violently.

Sabrina slowly relinquished the warm bed covers to her sister, stood from her bed, and stretched. The summer seemed to be rolling by at a lazy pace and Sabrina had grown accustomed to the slow mornings.

Despite Sabrina's ability to lie in bed all day, she had plans to help make summer interesting, and today they would begin. She had been compiling plans to build a tree house in the forest around Granny's house. After days of searching, she had found the perfect tree. It was a tall oak only starting to branch out more than twenty feet from the ground. Today was the day she would attempt to climb it.

A quick shower was followed by dressing in some comfortable cool clothes and her Converse sneakers, and then Sabrina started down the stairs to join her Grandmother Relda in the kitchen. Granny was always up first, making breakfast for everyone.

As Sabrina was halfway down, she heard voices coming from the kitchen. Normally she would have just gone in, but the mention of her name made her pause and listen to the voices sounding around the kitchen doorway.

"….you really sure you should send her instead? I could easily make the trip," Sabrina heard Jake say. Uncle Jake had been living with them for a few months, helping Granny pay the bills with his small auto shop salary. He repaired cars at the Tinker Garage in Ferryport Landing.

"It's practically a rite of passage," Granny answered him. "I have every confidence in her; Sabrina will be fine. Especially if I send her with Puck."

Jake laughed. "You really think something like this will keep them from clawing at each other's throats?"

"We can only hope," Granny chuckled.

There was a minute of silence. Sabrina was about to head down the rest of the stairs when Uncle Jake spoke quietly, so that Sabrina had to lean closer to the kitchen's door jamb to hear what he was saying.

"…is the eclipse?"

There was a rustling of papers and Granny replied, "In about three months. Do you think we should do some training exercises with them before we send them? It's traditional. I did them, you did them, and Henry did them."

_Training? Journey?_, Sabrina thought.

"I guess. If you want it to be like that."

"Yes, it will be fun preparing them."

The sounds of plates and forks scraping together made Sabrina realize the conversation was over and she creeped to the top of the stairs only to stomp down them, alerting Jake and Granny to her presence so they wouldn't realized she had been standing just outside the door, eavesdropping.

Sabrina made it to the spot where she had first heard Granny and Jake talking when a noise behind her caused her to stumble in her gait.

Puck came flying out of his door and down the stairs, smacking straight into Sabrina. They both tumbled down the stairs and landed in a heap at the bottom.

At least Sabrina didn't have to worry about making enough noise.

Puck groaned, slowly shifted out of the pile of human limbs, dusted himself off, and zipped into the kitchen without a word to Sabrina.

Sabrina's recovery took a bit longer. Five minutes later, she hobbled into the kitchen rubbing her sore back.

Sabrina glared at Puck as he smugly swallowed a large bite of what looked like purple pancakes. "Are you going to apologize?" Sabrina growled.

"Would you apologize to an ant if you stepped on it?" He retorted.

Enraged, Sabrina cuffed him hard on the right side of his head. Puck was caught by surprise and fell out of his chair onto the floor.

Puck picked himself up to retaliate when Uncle Jake grabbed a hold of his sweatshirt hood keeping him from launching himself at Sabrina.

"Alright, alright, enough lieblings." Granny said.

"She started it!" Puck whined, glaring at Sabrina. Sabrina smiled back at him and winked; at least she had gotten in one good hit.

"You both did," Granny said, standing from the table to fetch a frying pan from the stove, "Now who wants an alligator-egg omelet, with robin-brain bacon?"

Sabrina's appetite was smothered when she saw an eyeball rolling around the bottom of the pan.

"No thanks, Granny, I think I'm going to skip out early today," Sabrina said, heading towards the back door past the kitchen table.

"Are you sure?" Granny asked, concerned, "I just made some Wallaby Lemonade."

Sabrina had no idea what Wallaby Lemonade was, but she probably would be better off not knowing. "No, that's okay. I'm just going on a walk."

"Alright," Granny said as Sabrina slipped out the door. Granny looked out the kitchen window and watched Sabrina slip into the trees next to the house.

"You shouldn't worry about her so much," Jake said from the table. He had released Puck and was now digging into his omelet.

"How can I not worry? She's so much like you." Granny teased him.

"Hey, I ate your ridiculous concoctions." Jake insisted.

"Yes, you did." Granny answered, looking out the window a second time. "I wish she would eat." Granny turned to Puck, who had resumed eating as well. "Do you know where she goes on these walks?"

"No." He said.

Granny sighed dramatically, "Oh well. I guess I'll never know. I would follow her, but I don't think my old bones could survive out there. If only there were someone younger who could keep an eye on her to make sure she's okay." Granny sighed again and glanced at Puck from her acting.

Puck pretended like he hadn't noticed and kept on eating. Jake kicked him under the table.

"Why do I have to go?" Puck said, looking up from his syrup covered plate.

"Because we're busy. That's why." Uncle Jake said.

Puck sighed and stood from the table, "Fine," He said. "But how are you paying me for my services?"

Jake looked ready to hit Puck again when Granny stopped him with a look. Granny hadn't expected Puck to ever cooperate.

She looked at him and said, "I think I can manage ten dollars a wee-"

Puck stopped her right there. "I don't want your money, Old Lady. I want extra dessert without harassment. Every night. Until I'm through."

Granny smiled and held out her hand. "Done."

They shook hands.


	2. Falling Asleep

**Hello Peoples of varying degrees! I forgot to put a disclaimer in the first chapter so here it is. Disclaimer: I do not own the Sisters Grimm…bummer…**

**Anyway, I know I have not updated in a year or so. This is my apology. Apology: I'm sorry.** **There you have it. And without further ado…**

Sabrina breathed in the cool morning air and loosed a small sigh. She loved the forest. Among the tall pine trees and scattered rocks, she felt both protected and free, which was hard to come by being cooped up in the house.

Sabrina had started taking these walks at the beginning of summer and now confidently strode through the thick woods. Her tree sat about half a mile from the house. The journey included crossing over a streambed, and climbing a sizeable wall of rocks. At the very top of the rocks, stood her tree.

Sabrina's breath came faster as she pulled herself up the rock wall. The sun had come over the forest's tall valley walls and was beating against Sabrina's back. Her tumble with Puck earlier was causing some pain in her upper back, but she pushed on, determined to reach the top before too long.

As she pulled herself up the last ledge of the wall, a light humming reached her ears and made her pause.

Sabrina wasn't stupid. She knew there were dangerous things in the woods, especially within the border of Ferryport Landing.

Sabrina slower turned in a circle, searching every direction for a possible threat. She saw none and allowed herself to relax minimally as the humming dissipated.

Still on edge, Sabrina quickly stepped up to her tree, and started hoisting herself up the trunk. The first time she had tried climbing the tree, she had failed miserably. Only through extensive upper body strength had she eventually been able to shimmy up the left side of the tree.

She sat on the lowest branch taking mental notes on how low the floor should be and where her supports would need to go. She was still sitting there thinking when a light breeze started up and her hair flew into her face. Pulling back her hair into a ponytail, she noticed that it kept tangling when she brushed it past her ears. That had never happened before and she rubbed the outside of her ear.

Sabrina nearly fell out of the tree. She rubbed her ear again, and then the other. They were both pointed. Her ears were pointed.

Her breathing hitched and then slowed. It was probably Puck. Most likely, he had gotten some weird potion or spell on her when they had crashed at the bottom of the stairs. He was always doing something like this.

Still, Sabrina couldn't help but scramble down the branch she was perched on. She needed to get home. Puck needed to fix it. Now.

Sabrina slid down the tree trunk hurriedly, scraping up the left side of her body. She was too distressed to care.

At the top of the rock wall, she stood warily for a second and then headed down at an unsteady speed after another breeze whipped her hair back and forth. Her hands clutched at the wall as gravity pulled her body towards the ground thirty feet below.

Descending entirely too fast, Sabrina unknowingly stepped on a loose stone and it slid out from under her foot, propelling her backwards. Sabrina clawed at the wall for a handhold as her body weight tipped toward the drop behind her.

After a second of what seemed like ever-lasting terror, Sabrina's nails dug into the dirt between two rocks and held.

Sabrina gasped and clung to the wall, her chest heaving with fright.

A shout sounded from the tree line at the bottom of the cliff and several things happened at once:

Sabrina heard the humming noise again.

Sabrina saw Puck flying towards her from the trees.

Sabrina felt something hard slam into her skull.

Sabrina tasted blood as she lost consciousness and fell towards the earth at a deadly height.

Relda was just finishing organizing her recipe drawer, when she heard the front door slam.

"RELDA! JAKE!" a hysterical voice roared from the living room.

Relda dropped several papers, and then ran full tilt into the front room. Puck never called her Relda. She arrived just in time to see Puck laying Sabrina's immobile body onto the couch.

"What happened?" Relda asked in a sharp voice as she rushed to Sabrina's side and felt her pulse. It was rapid.

Relda was joined by Jake and Daphne, who had been alerted by Puck's shouting.

"Sabrina!" Daphne shouted. She started towards her sister, but was picked up by Jake and handed to Puck.

"Hold her," Jake told him and turned to Relda.

Daphne screamed and kicked. "Sabrina! Sabrina, wake up!" The small girl was in tears.

"She's just unconscious. She has some bruising on her head, but that's it. Go get one of the wands, and a waking potion. This is severe enough that it might lead to a comatose state if we don't get her awake." Relda said to Jake.

When he returned, Jake and Relda cast a healing spell over Sabrina and then pulled out a syringe. Daphne sobbed and turned away. Puck held her to him, but watched intently.

Jake pushed the needle into Sabrina's arm and injected a light orange serum.

"Why the needle?" Puck asked.

"Because she's not going to swallow anything right now," Jake replied curtly.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Daphne asked, her voice muffled from pressing it into Puck's green sweatshirt.

"Yes, _liebling." _Relda said to the small child.

"The potion should start working in a few minutes," Uncle Jake said. He turned to Puck. "We sent you out to keep an eye on her. What happened?" His tone was demanding and accusing.

Puck released Daphne and the little girl ran to her sister's side. Puck looked at Jake. "I was following her, like you wanted me to. When I finally caught sight of her, she was clinging to the side of the rock wall surrounding Gorgon Hollow. I saw her fall…" Puck trailed off.

"You caught her?" Jake asked, softening.

Puck nodded.

Granny had been listening and now spoke up. "Do you know why she fell?"

"I have no idea. It looked like she just… let go." Puck turned away from them and walked slowly upstairs. A few seconds later there was a resounding smack as his bedroom door slammed shut.

"Oh dear…" Relda said. Her hands shook and her face had gone white. Jake rubbed her knee, but his expression remained blank.

The moment was interrupted as a small noise was heard from Daphne and Sabrina stirred on the couch. Relda and Jake moved to the couch.

Sabrina's eyes fluttered open. She turned her head a fraction of an inch and gasped. "Hurts… so bad…"

"What does?" Jake asked.

"Headache."

"Are you okay, Sabrina?" Daphne asked, tears still streaming down her face.

Sabrina scoffed and then winced as if the small movement had pained her. "Yeah, I'm good, Daphne."

"Oh _liebling." _Granny interjected. "What happened? Why were you climbing?"

As out-of-it as Sabrina was, she still didn't want to reveal what she had been doing to the family.

"Just on a walk…" Sabrina puffed out as she closed her eyes to protect her headache from the glaring lights.

Granny's voice became harder, "Why did you fall?"

Sabrina tried to think, but found it nearly impossible with the pounding in her skull, "I just slipped, is all."

Granny sat back and blew out a shaky breath. She was about to stand when Sabrina's eyes flashed open.

"Wait." Sabrina said. "My head. Something hit me."

"Something hit you?" Granny asked.

"Yeah, I remember a little bit now." Sabrina said, grimacing as she pushed to get her words out. "I was on my way down, and I saw Puck flying towards me. Then something hit me on the head… and … and… it was just dark after that. I don't even remember falling."

Jake spoke up, "Like a rock or something?"

Sabrina sunk deeper into the couch, losing strength, "I guess so."

"Do you remember anything else? At all?" he asked.

Sabrina concentrated for a minute. There was something. Something she was forgetting, but for now it was all she could do to stay awake.

"Don't think… so…" she mumbled as she began falling asleep.

A minute later, a small snore echoed from her throat.


	3. The Mission Plan

**ALOHA! Wazzup! I missed you! Didja miss me? No...? Ok. Anyway, I do not own the Sisters Grimm, no matter how much I wish I did. Its…just not meant to be… (Bursts into tears). On with the story!**

Sabrina awoke to find herself tucked snuggly into her bed. Her massive headache had dulled, but there was still a small throbbing on the right side of her head. She reached up and felt a large bump on the side of her skull, tender to the touch.

Her room was dark. The only light came from a small slit underneath the door. She glanced at her alarm clock. 3:24, it read.

Sabrina reclined in her warm bed covers and nearly fell back asleep when a small tinkling reached her ears. Her eyes flashed open. She knew that sound. She had heard it often when Puck spoke to his fairies.

Sabrina's attention flew to the window as several small dots of red lights appeared outside the glass. She stood slowly from her bed and wobbled as the blood rushed out of her head. After steadying herself, she cautiously approached the window and was dazzled by what she saw.

Lines of red fairies dotted the yard weaving in and out of each other as they danced to a quiet melody. Sabrina stood watching, mesmerized by the dance. Her ears yearned to hear more of the soft, yet haunting melody of the fairies and her hands slowly reached for the window latch.

The warning from Mr. Canis at the girls' arrival so many months ago was overridden by the hypnotizing effects of the fairy song. Sabrina felt as though the fairies were there just for her; she felt she could almost understand what they were telling her. Something about laughter… and rain…

The window was open now and Sabrina leaned out, barely staying in by the hold of her fingertips on the windowsill. The fairies came to her and sang their lovely song as they caressed her cheeks and twirled in her hair. Sabrina beamed. The fairies beckoned to her, until Sabrina sat on the edge of the windowsill, her feet dangling 20 feet above the ground.

A large fairy, darker red than most, picked up one of Sabrina's fingers and pulled gently on it until Sabrina was standing on the sill, wavering back and forth with the breeze, unaware of her peril. The fairy tugged harder and harder until the last balance Sabrina had was tipped and she began falling over the ledge.

A hand grabbed at Sabrina's arm and she was roughly yanked back into her bedroom. The window slammed shut and Sabrina felt hands start to shake her body. Slowly, her hearing returned and her mind snapped out of the trance. She struck out with a fist.

Sabrina blinked her eyes to see a coughing Puck lying on the floor in front of her. She was sprawled on the carpet before him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sabrina said, standing up.

Puck took a second to recover and replied, "Me?! What about you?!" Puck gasped. "You punched me in the throat!"

"Yeah, you want another?!" Sabrina yelled. A second later her fury diminished as she felt extremely weak and light-headed. She started for her bed, but as soon as she took a step, her legs crumpled under her. Puck caught her around the middle just in time. He helped her back into bed.

Sabrina looked up at Pucks face as he placed the blanket over her. His eyebrows were knit together in a worried crease and his eyes were stonily serious.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He sat down next to her bed on a wooden chair and stared at her. "You should know…" he mumbled.

"Know what…?" Sabrina asked.

"Nothing," he breathed.

They both looked up as Granny opened the door and turned on the light. "Is everything alri… oh, Puck," Granny said, mildly surprised. "What happened? I heard yelling."

"Puck just tried to attack me," Sabrina tattled from her bed.

Puck sucked in an annoyed breath, "I ju- never mind. I don't care." He stood up to leave, but Granny stopped him.

"As long as you're both okay, I'd like to talk to you about something." Granny looked at Puck. "Is that okay?"

Puck sighed, "Whatever," and sat back down in his chair. Granny grabbed another from Sabrina's desk and joined him next to the bed.

"Do you need anything before we begin, Sabrina?" Granny asked. Sabrina shook her head "no", and waited curiously for Granny to start speaking.

"400 years before you were born Sabrina, Everafters were free to roam the world and many still do, but as you very well know, there is a barrier around this town, preventing any who enter from leaving. You also know that the witch, Baba Yaga, helped in making this barrier. Now, Baba Yaga is a very powerful witch, but her magic is tied to the sun. As long as the sun has an uninterrupted path to the earth, she has power. But an event happens every 20 or so years that upsets Baba Yaga's power flow, and that is a solar eclipse."

Sabrina realized that this is what Granny and Jake had been talking about that morning in the kitchen.

Granny continued, "When this eclipse happens the barrier will cease as long as the moon stays in front of the sun."

Sabrina was confused, "But wouldn't the sun still be shining in Egypt or something?"

"Yes, but the rays would be distorted. If the moon interferes, Baba Yaga is powerless." Granny said.

"What does this have anything to do with us? What can we do?" Puck sat back bored.

"I have a mission for you both." Granny said, smiling.

Sabrina's skin tingled and she shivered slightly for some unknown reason.

"During the eclipse we have to keep the barrier up, if it falls, you cannot get it back, and it would take time to create another one, making it possible for dangerous everafters to escape. But, there is hope. Baba Yaga isn't the only thing keeping the barrier up." Granny got a twinkle in her eye. "We Grimm's have a little magic of our very own."

"You see, Baba Yaga knew she couldn't do it all by herself. So, she asked us if we could lend her anything powerful enough to be transformed into a beacon out of which the barrier's power would also resonate. So we gave her the Grimm Amulet. It was given to Jacob Grimm on one of his many exploits and has been passed down the line of Grimm descendents. With each new Grimm family member, the amulet grows more and more powerful. It now resides on the highest mountain surrounding Ferryport Landing."

"What do you want us to do?" Sabrina asked, goading Granny on.

"You must climb the mountain and charge the wand. It has long since lost its power from the last time, but if you charge it, the Amulet can provide the extra boost that Baba Yaga needs for her spell to continue." Granny leaned back in the desk chair.

"But Granny," Sabrina said, "I really don't think I should be holding a wand, being addicted to magic and all..."

"_Liebling_, you needn't cast any spells, just simply tap the amulet with the wand. I would send something else, but the amulet needs to be charged with something that has life in it. Energy."

"You really want us to climb a mountain and hit an old trinket with a wand?" Puck stated. "This is ridiculous."

"It's a time-honored tradition!" Granny spoke, feigning abashment.

"Really?" Sabrina said, skeptically. "Who started this 'tradition'?"

"I'm not sure," Granny said, laughing.

"So, when do we have to go?" Sabrina asked. For some reason, she didn't mind the idea of getting out of the house and seeing a little more of the forest that surrounded Ferryport.

"The eclipse is in 3 months," Granny said.

"Three months? That's enough time to get there and back 100 times!" Puck said.

"Yes, but we have to train you first." Granny said.

Sabrina was confused. "Training? Training for what?"

"It's another tradition. You train for a few months and then go. You have to remember that this was before the town was finished. All sorts of mean, nasty everafters lived in the woods. It wasn't until my generation that the woodland creatures were brought into civilization."

"When would training start?" Sabrina asked.

"I want you and Puck to start tomorrow." Granny said.

"What?!" Puck exclaimed. "I have to train too?"

"It will be a wonderful experience for both of you." Granny stood. "It's going to be so much fun!" She kissed Sabrina's forhead, gave Puck's shoulder a squeeze and headed out the bedroom door. "Six o'clock sharp tomorrow morning!" she called to them over her shoulder.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Puck said.

"I don't think she was kidding." Sabrina said. "Six o'clock isn't too bad."

"I meant about the whole mission thing."

"Oh…" Sabrina slid under her covers and pulled them up to her chin. "I'm not worried," she mumbled sleepily.

There were several minutes of silence. Sabrina thought Puck had left, but suddenly he spoke up, disrupting her dream state.

"Sabrina?"

Her eyes snapped open. He used her first name. The last time he had said it…

"What?" she said.

"Why did you fall off that cliff? And why were you falling outside your bedroom window?" he sounded angry.

"I…" Sabrina felt confused and tried to recollect exactly what had happened before Granny came in, before Puck had grabbed her. She couldn't remember anything. Had he grabbed her? Or saved her? Why had she been falling? "…slipped," she finished lamely.

"Whatever," Puck whispered and he silently left the room.

If Sabrina hadn't felt ridiculously exhausted at that moment, she might have felt particularly bothered by Puck's attitude. What did it matter to him if she had developed extreme clumsiness? But Sabrina had neither the energy nor the impulse to regard those feelings as her head fell back on her pillow and she sank into unconsciousness without a single care that her bedroom light was still on.


	4. Toast and Anger

**Hellluuurrr! So thanks for the reviews, guys. I'm really happy its summer so I can finally concentrate on writing instead of killing people… wait, I mean stabbing people… crap, I MEAN going to school… yeah, that's what I mean. Anyway! Yours truly does not own the Sisters Grimm, but God help the world if I get my hands on the copyrights! ;) Enjoy!**

Sabrina rooted through the pantry noisily searching for some semblance of breakfast cereal that she might be able to eat. This was the earliest she had woken up since school had finished at the end of May and she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. God only knows how Puck would deal with this fatigue.

Finding nothing in the pantry, she reached for the bread and started on some toast, hoping to ease her growling stomach. She felt like she hadn't eaten in decades.

Sabrina checked her watch. 5:36, it read. She had about 20 more minutes of peaceable freedom until Granny's training would commence.

Sabrina still hadn't seen Puck that morning. She knew he dared not be late else Granny come after him with a few pots and pans, banging them together in his ears until he was out of his room, as she had once before.

Sabrina's toast was done and she sat at the table, chewing it slowly and staring out the window. She never minded getting up so early. In fact, right before dawn was her favorite time of day. The air was always cool and gave her soft anticipation for the sunrise.

Sabrina finished her toast and checked her watch again. 5:39.

Close enough, Sabrina decided impatiently.

Sabrina climbed the stairs and knocked gently on her grandmother's bedroom door. There was no answer. Sabrina turned the knob and cracked it open.

"Granny?" Sabrina whispered into the small space in between the door and the doorjamb.

There was no answer. Sabrina checked the rest of the house and, finding neither her Granny nor Jake, she ended up in the bathroom, brushing her teeth to get rid of the toast stuck in her gums.

Sabrina was staring at herself in the mirror, mindlessly brushing her molars, when she noticed a dark patch on her chest, peeking out from under her shirt. Examining further, Sabrina saw that the dark patch covered the entirety of where her heart lay. Her toothbrush fell to the floor. When had that appeared? It wasn't there when she had dressed that morning 20 minutes before.

Suddenly Sabrina felt an aching pain grow in her heart where the spot was. At first, her breaths came in short puffs, and then the pain grew until she was crouched on the floor groaning.

Then, as suddenly as it had come, the pain disappeared.

Sabrina gasped and stood. She wanted to cry. What was happening to her? She felt as if her body had turned against her and was battling with itself. But she couldn't cry. She could not and would not cry. She needed to ask Granny about it, but felt that she wouldn't like the answer. She was scared.

Sabrina splashed water on her face and rinsed out the last of the toothpaste. She picked up her toothbrush and gently sat it on the counter. After a second of indecision, Sabrina buttoned up another button on her blouse so the mark wouldn't show. Satisfied, she opened the door, only to find Puck standing in front of it.

"Geez Grimm, you're taking fore…" he said right before looking at her face. "Are you okay?"

"What?" Sabrina half-whispered. She tried to walk past him.

"What's wrong?" Puck demanded, crossing his arms and blocking the door so she couldn't leave.

"Nothing," she replied, gulping down air, "It's nothing." She tried again to leave.

Puck refused to move. "No. You need to tell me what's going on. First, you nearly _die _falling off a cliff. Then, you try falling again out of your window! And now you look as if you're about to explode." He put his hands up on the doorway. "What. Is. Going. On."

Sabrina shrunk back. Puck had never been this demanding with her. But he stood there, physically and verbally demanding answers. He had grown a lot in the last two years. And by the time she had turned 16, he stood a good four or five inches above her.

Sabrina was not used to feeling vulnerable to this boy, and it made her angry. "Why do you care?"

Puck's eyebrows creased together and his lips set in a serious frown, "Because I'm tired of saving your ass, that's why. You've got a lot of nerve putting yourself in those situations when there are people who care about you and want you to be safe, like the old lady, and Jake, and for God's sake, Daphne! What the hell would happen to Daphne if you had died…" Puck's voice was losing its force, "…if I hadn't been there to save you."

Sabrina was surprised by Puck. "I- I don't have a death wish, you know…" she tried.

"Don't you?! God!" Puck nearly shouted. "I have been trying to figure out why it is that you all of the sudden want to off yourself," he started. Sabrina opened her mouth to argue.

"Shut it, I'm not done! Sure, your parent's probably aren't coming back and sure, you'll probably be stuck in this town for a long while now, but I just can't see what is so bad about your life that you need to end it!" Puck panted after he finished.

Sabrina stared at him wide-eyed. "I-I don't want it t-to end…" she stammered.

"Then tell me what is going on." He stared at her intensely.

Sabrina thought about telling him, but the whole 'rock falling on her head' reason seemed silly and unsatisfying even to her ears. As for her bedroom window fall, she hadn't a clue about what had caused that. "I… I can't."

Puck sighed without breaking eye-contact with her and moved aside. She slipped past him as he said, "The old lady is waiting for you outside." Neither of them said anything else and Sabrina made her way to the front door.

Sabrina felt sick about her encounter with Puck. She didn't want to leave him like that, but there was nothing she could say or do that she felt would fix it.

Sabrina took hold of the doorknob to the front door and opened it.

Outside, on the front lawn, sat mountains of junk. She recognized some of it from Puck's giant toilet throne pile but most of it was just random, broken-down, stuff piled around the yard like a maze.

Sabrina slowly picked her way through the wreckage. She wondered if Granny had finally gone off her rocker. Wasn't this a little… dramatic?

Sabrina turned a corner and saw Granny. She was outfitted in camouflage pants and jacket. She had a cap on and stood at attention. Yep, Granny had definitely gone off her rocker.

Snow White appeared next to her. She was dressed less 'military' in a sweatshirt and sweatpants. Sabrina cautiously approached the pair.

Snow spoke first. "Are you ready?" she asked excitedly.

Sabrina said slowly, "For what…?"

Granny chuckled at Sabrina's hesitance. "It's okay, _liebling. _Snow has helped all of the Grimms with their eclipse training. There is absolutely nothing to worry about. It's going to be fun!"

Somehow, Sabrina less than believed her.

"So exactly what am I doing?" Sabrina asked.

Granny stepped forward. "We're going to get you in top physical and mental condition. Most of these exercises will be strengthening you, but some will be for your benefit as a Grimm and what we do."

"Ah, you're back," Granny said as Puck landed softly next to the group. He refused to look at Sabrina and acknowledged Granny with a nod.

"Puck," Snow interjected. "Your main focus will be building your flying stamina and strengthening your flight as to carry heavier loads. As we continue through work-outs, we will eventually increase your maneuvering abilities and your altitude."

Puck whistled slipping into his normal self which contrasted starkly with his attitude when talking to Sabrina earlier. "Whew. That sounds like a lot."

"It is, but we have our reasons." Granny winked at Snow. "So let's not wait a minute longer. Sabrina! Ten laps around the house! Puck! Ten relays to town and back! Go, Go, Go!"

Puck and Sabrina didn't move. Granny pulled out her megaphone.

"GO!"

They went.


	5. The Fire

**Yaloha! I do not own the Sisters Grimm, but before I get started, I'd like to give a special shout out to Curlscat for her wonderful advice. I shall be glorious forever more. Dude, you are 'Da Bomb!' *explosion noise* Thanks a lot! :D And without further ado…**

By the end of the week, Sabrina was a mess. Everything ached from all of her workouts and when it was bed time, she melted into her sheets, never to be heard from again until morning. Snow had been working all of Sabrina's muscles to the consistency of Jell-o. Puck was in no better condition. As it turns out, even everafters have limits.

Every night, Sabrina would walk into her room and close the door. She examined that black mark and found it to be growing significantly, at least half an inch per day. But for the horror of it growing (whatever it was) she no longer felt the pain. It was as if someone had just painted a black splotch on her. Lucky for her, the splotch grew downwards instead of up her neck, where it would eventually be visible.

She felt as if she should tell someone, but at the same time she was scared of what they would say. Was there something wrong with her? What would telling them accomplish? More worry for her already spastic, training-consumed family? No. Better to leave it for a time that wasn't so crazy.

The work continued for weeks, but eventually, Sabrina felt stronger. Her muscles ached less, and she was actually smiling through her exercises instead of gasping.

By the time the third month rolled around and training was coming to a close, Sabrina felt like a lean, mean, butt-kicking machine. She had even grown into the habit of checking herself out in her bedroom mirror just to admire her new-formed muscles.

Puck was no different. His shoulders broadened considerably and his torso, which had mostly been in shape beforehand, was definitely chiseled.

He had constantly decided to train topless on the days that were clear and warm, and even on some days that weren't. He mostly did it to see if he could trip up Sabrina. Once, he had caught her ogling him as he did push-ups. And that was something that he would never let her forget afterwards.

The eve of their departure suddenly approached and Sabrina and Puck were summoned to Granny's room.

"I'm so proud of both of you. I cannot thank you enough for this," she began as they stepped in the room. "I trust you're all packed and ready to go?" Relda asked.

Both of them nodded. Sabrina had spent hours trying to pack only jeans and long sleeve T-shirts. The black had spread to her knees and elbows and she didn't know how long it would be until her secret was revealed.

"Good. Here is the wand." She handed a long, slender stick to Puck. It was decorated with carvings of vines and a delicate crystal sat at the very tip. "Now, I trust that this will stay in Puck's hands until you reach the summit, yes?" The both nodded again making Sabrina feel strangely like a robot.

"You sure you're all set?" Granny asked. They replied again robotically. "Alright then, off to bed with the both of you. _Guten Nacht, mein lieblings._" She kissed them both.

They left the room and headed up the stairs.

"Nervous?" Puck asked when they reached his door.

"Not any more than usual. I mean, when in our lives are we going to have an adventure this safe again? I guess I'm a little nervous, but nothing I can't handle. It's not like I have to worry about giants or-"

"Yawn." Puck cut her off. "Night, Grimm." He went in his room with the wand, leaving her in the hallway alone.

That was new. She never babbled. Especially not when she was nervous. It was obviously a habit she had attained from listening to Daphne the past few months.

She entered her room and went to bed.

**4 hours later**

Sabrina was awoken by a huge crash. Her eyes flew open to a soft crimson glow that lit her room, but the sun was nowhere to be seen. She smelled smoke.

Sabrina quickly woke her sister, and after a few shoves, the little girl's eyes slowly creaked open.

"What's going on?" Daphne mumbled, still half asleep.

"I don't know." Sabrina opened the door only to shut it immediately after feeling the scorching heat from a ruby-colored fire that raged downstairs. It was slowly creeping up the staircase to the family's bedrooms.

"Sabrina?!" Daphne whimpered from the bed.

"Daphne," Sabrina said, calmly. "Stuff the blankets under the door. I'll be back. Stay here." Sabrina took a deep breath of her bedroom's smoke tinged air and threw open the door, slamming it shut behind her.

"Everyone up! There's a fire!" Sabrina screamed at the top of her lungs and banged on every door that she passed down the hallway. "Fire!"

Jake was the first to open his door. Then Mr. Canis. Then Granny. They stared at the red flames before Jake said, "I can fight it." He began digging through the pockets of his pajama pants.

"No, you can't," Granny barked at him. "It's fairy fire. And if we don't get out of here we're going to suffocate." Granny said. A beam fell from the ceiling in the living room, adding to the blaze. The red fire crawled up the staircase towards them.

"Or burn." Sabrina said. Soon after, a coughing fit attacked her lungs.

Mr. Canis spoke up. "Relda, we can't get down here. The tree."

"Outside the girls' window?"

Mr. Canis nodded.

Jake, Sabrina, Relda, and Mr. Canis burst into Sabrina and Daphne's room to find the little girl huddled next to the window. A cloud of smoke came in with them and they quickly shut the door.

"Canis, take Mom down first." Jake said.

Relda looked as if she was about to protest when Mr. Canis unceremoniously hoisted Granny onto his back as if for a piggy-back ride. He climbed out the window and jumped to a tree that stood several feet away from the girls' windowsill. He began sliding his way down the trunk taking large shucks of bark with him.

"Alright, you two next." Jake said to the girls, gesturing to the window.

"Wait." Sabrina said as she looked around frantically. "Where's Puck?"

He wasn't there.

"I'll get him." Jake started towards the door.

"No!" yelled Sabrina. "You take Daphne down; I can't carry her."

Jake looked torn. Eventually he conceded and pulled Daphne onto his back. "Don't die," he said and was gone out the window.

Sabrina raced out of her room and into Puck's. The fire had grown considerably. Smoke filled the hall so she could barely see the doorknob as she turned it. After another coughing fit that took up 30 seconds of her time, she scrambled down the path, yelling for Puck.

She eventually found him lying on his trampoline sound asleep as if everything was fine. But as Sabrina drew closer to his body, she realized that something was dreadfully wrong. His eyelids were half open and large bruises marked a trail down his body. A line of blood trickled from his mouth.

"Oh, my god. Puck." Sabrina vaulted onto the trampoline and his body rolled limply towards her. She shook him. "Puck! Wake up!" Tears began forming in her eyes, but she wiped them away. "Stop playing around Puck! I mean it! Stop!" A sob echoed from her throat.

Sabrina attempted to check his pulse. She put her fingers to his neck, but had no idea what she was looking for. She couldn't tell if his pulse was really there, or if she was just franticly imagining things.

The smell of smoke reached her lungs again and she searched for the fire.

In every direction, red fire pulsed like a ring around them eating at the edges of Puck's room. They had to get out of there. The fire had spread to his room… which meant that his door was burning.


	6. The Fire Part ll

**Hey, y'all! **

**I do not own the Sisters Grimm.**

Sabrina was at a loss. For words, for a plan, for hope. There was no way on God's green earth that she was going to be able to drag Puck all the way to his doorway before the fire consumed them both.

But there was no way, dead or not, that she would leave him to burn. No way.

A small half-baked idea wormed its way into her thoughts and she decided that, at this point, anything was worth a try.

Hoping her minimal extent of TV viewing was enough of an education, she wiped tears and snot from her face and tilted back Puck's head, opening his mouth.

"Please work," she whispered as she plugged his nose and put her lips to his, breathing quickly and hard into his mouth. Then, she awkwardly pushed on his chest several times, performing a very rude rendition of CPR.

Once again on the mouth… then, the chest. Sabrina brought her mouth to Puck's for the third time to see Puck's eyes staring into hers, startled.

Sabrina was so surprised, she didn't move. Until Puck said, "Uh, Grimm. What ya doing there?"

"Puck," she breathed, and leaned away from him. She had no time to be amazed at this small, completely irrational miracle. The fire was crackling sinisterly from the woods, not a mere 15 feet from the trampoline.

"We gotta go," Sabrina said and she yanked his arm trying to heave him from his bed.

"Wha…" Puck was cut off by a loud hacking cough that crawled its way up his throat. He saw the red fire and when his coughing was through, he weakly mumbled, "My room…"

"No time, Puck!" Sabrina shouted, trying to get Puck out of his shocked stupor. She yanked him once more from the trampoline and they nearly fell off the side. "You have to fly us to the door as fast as you can. Now, if you just, like, hold my shoulders…"

Sabrina yelped as Puck grabbed her around the middle and hoisted her into the air. They were off. The path sped underneath them as Sabrina's hair whipped around her head. Heat enveloped them and Sabrina's skin felt as if it would melt right off her body. She looked at Puck for any signs of pain. His face was set in a stone and ferocity clouded his eyes. Sabrina had never seen him look this way before. But, then again, the house had never been on fire before, threatening their very lives.

Seconds later, they saw the door. Smoke billowed from underneath it and Sabrina feared exactly what waited behind the door.

Puck didn't even slow down. Turning his body so that Sabrina faced away from the door, he slammed into it, nearly ripping the door off its hinges.

"Puck!" Sabrina shouted. An agonized scream roared from Puck's mouth, making her ears ring. Smoke stung her eyes as she picked herself up from the floor. She couldn't see, she couldn't breathe, but she could feel. Keeping her mouth and eyes firmly closed, she found Puck's body. It was slick with something. She didn't think about that.

Sabrina dragged Puck down the hallway with her shoulder smashed against the left wall until she could find her bedroom door. Flames licked at her body. She could feel the hair on her arms and face start to singe. She could only imagine what they were doing to Puck.

Even with her eyes closed, Sabrina could see the intense blood-red color of the fire as if it were burning its way through her eyelids.

After what seemed like a hellish eternity, Sabrina's shoulder dropped further into the wall. She had found the doorway. Letting go of Puck with one hand she scrabbled for the doorknob. She twisted it and pushed.

It wouldn't open. She tried again. And again. Getting desperate and frustrated she slammed her body against the door shrieking loudly. That was the last of her air and she inhaled mistakenly. Coughs racked her body as she pounded against the door, firmly at first, then weaker, until she no longer had the strength and slid to the floor. Her lungs burned to cough, but she no longer had the strength for that either. She lay there, with Puck only inches away, and felt, as her skin began to blister.

Sabrina could no longer see the stark red behind her eyelids. She could see nothing. It was as if a fog of blackness encircled her head, blocking every one of her senses and relieving her. She knew that if she fell a little bit deeper into this darkness, she wouldn't have to feel the sting of the fire. Wouldn't have to inhale the smoke. Wouldn't have to go to school. Wouldn't have to do chores. Wouldn't have to eat broccoli. Wouldn't have to grow up. Wouldn't have to struggle.

But then, she would never get to live. Never get to laugh. Never get to fall in love. Never get to grow up.

Sabrina curled her fingers into a fist.

Never get to save Puck.

Sabrina pushed back the darkness and heaved with a power that came from her heart and her mind. A lightning bolt of energy ran down her neck, shoulder, and arm as she flung her arm up and struck it on the door once more. One more try.

Sabrina's hand had barely fallen back down when the door opened and she felt herself falling backwards onto her bedroom carpet floor.

After that, there was nothing that could keep the darkness at bay.


	7. The Hospital

Sabrina was aware of the pain in her head first. Her skull ached so strongly that it hurt to even think, so she didn't. She merely endured it until she began to feel the rest of her body, which wasn't something she liked either.

Her breathing was not her own, controlled by a machine that beeped loudly, and annoyingly next to her. The machine was a little too slow and she began to feel uncomfortable and a little claustrophobic. And then, she felt the tube.

Her eyes opened in a panic and she blindly clawed for the tube that ran down her throat. She couldn't see, it was too bright, but she could hear voices telling her to calm down. She felt hands pulling hers away from the tubes. She wanted to scream, everything hurt, but she needed to rid herself of the plastic that had invaded and her throat.

Eventually, she felt the tube begin its way out of her mouth. She could feel it scrape at her esophagus and she shuddered. The tube was almost out when she felt the overwhelming urge to vomit. She began to dry-heave and nothing came up. What felt like an hour later, her gagging finally subsided. Her brow and chest were drenched in sweat and her hands shook violently in the air.

Sabrina lied on the bed and tried to catch her breath. She began to cry. Large drops ran down the sides of her face, but she didn't sob, merely allowed the tears to run down her cheeks in silence. A tissue dabbed at her eyes. She opened them and faces began appearing as her vision adapted to the light.

She saw Uncle Jake first; he had held her right arm. Then Granny who was behind his shoulder, her eyebrows shoved together and her breathing heavy as if she had gone through the de-tubing herself. A nurse stood hovering over her left shoulder with a syringe of clear liquid at the ready. A sedative, Sabrina guessed.

Sabrina tried to speak, but her voice only came out less than a whisper. "Granny", she mouthed.

Granny stepped forward as Uncle Jake released Sabrina's arm. "Oh, _liebling_. I am so sorry. I am so, so sorry." Granny laid a hand on Sabrina's wet cheek. "Can she have some water?" Granny looked up at the nurse.

The nurse nodded and grabbed a white cup from the bedside counter and held the straw up to Sabrina's lips. Sabrina tried to grab it, but her hand was too weak to hold it and she let the shaking limb fall back to her side. Leaning her head forward, she drank. The water went straight to her lungs and she coughed violently several times before drinking a second time. The second time, she was able to swallow the cool liquid.

"What happened? Where's Puck?" Sabrina rasped.

"You're in the hospital, _liebling,_" Granny said. "Are you in pain? Do you need something?"

"What happened?" Sabrina asked a second time, staring her grandmother straight in the eye. She tried remembering being brought out of the house or at least being taken to the hospital, but there was nothing.

"After Jake came down with Daphne, we thought you would be right after. Jake climbed back up the tree to get after you; he found you outside your bedroom door and brought you both down the tree to us."

Sabrina looked at Jake. He had retreated to the corner of the room and was staring calmly at the hospital's tile floor.

"I thought I was dead," Sabrina said. "I thought I had died in there."

Granny grimaced. "You were in a bad way, _liebling. _We were so scared." Granny took Sabrina's hand in her own.

Sabrina glanced at their hands, but then stared at her arm, and her other arm; they were perfectly healthy. "Granny?!" she half-whispered. "Where are my burns?! I remember being burned!"

"Shh! Sabrina!" Granny looked around. The nurse had left minutes ago; they were alone. "We don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? What is there to know? Did Jake do anything magical?" Sabrina furiously rubbed at her arms. Her pale skin was completely unblemished and felt miraculously smooth, an almost ridiculous contrast to the damage she felt in the fire. In fact, everything apart from her aching, weak muscles felt healthy, good almost.

"The moment we pulled you out of the fire, you began to heal. We don't know why… and frankly, we don't care. We're just so happy that you're okay." Granny encircled Sabrina in her arms.

"And Puck? Is he healed?" Sabrina pulled away.

"I'm afraid he took the brunt of the fire," Granny explained. Sabrina felt her chest begin to tighten around her heart. "But he's almost fully healed. He'll be completely fine. We should go check on him now. Are you going to be okay?"

"Can I go with you?" Sabrina asked. She started to slide out of the hospital bed. A deep chill settled on her skin as she realized how naked she was under the hospital dress. "Where are my clothes?"

"They're in the closet over there, but _liebling_," Granny said. Sabrina looked at her. "Please stay in bed a while longer, even if you feel fine, it would make me feel better. Try and get some sleep for the next couple of hours, the hospital has a minimum time release policy and that won't be up for a while. I'll have a hamburger ordered for you, okay?" She gave Sabrina a small, watery wink.

"Alright Granny," Sabrina replied. She didn't want to stay, but she could tell that Relda needed her to. The woman had been toeing the line of her breaking point and Sabrina didn't want to push her over.

Granny kissed Sabrina's forehead and walked to the door. She stopped for Jake.

"Just a minute. Please," he said to her. Granny nodded and left the room.

Jake stood in the middle of the room, still staring at the tile floor.

"Jake?" Sabrina asked. "What's wrong?"

Her voice broke his trance and his eyes snapped to her face. They held guilt. He crossed to her bed and kneeled beside it. Taking her hand he spoke, "I am so sorry Sabrina. I shouldn't have left you. I should have stayed and got you out and gone back for Puck. I shouldn't have left you."

"Hey," Sabrina said. "There was no time. I had to get Puck. And you saved us both, silly." Sabrina awkwardly patted the top of his head. She didn't comfort people besides Daphne.

"You don't understand. I almost let you die." His voice cracked and hot tears squeezed from his eyes. "When I went up there, I couldn't find you. I was ready to give up. If I hadn't heard you hit the door, I never would have opened it. I-almost-let-you-die."

"But you didn't," Sabrina said. "I'm still here, and without you I wouldn't be. It is thanks to you that I am alive. I will never forget that, and neither should you. It doesn't matter what might have happened, it matters what actually happened. Now stop or you're going to make me depressed."

Jake let out a short breath that sounded like a laugh. "I'll tell Granny to add extra fries with that burger."

"You better," Sabrina said as Jake stood.

"I just-"

"Ah," Sabrina interrupted. "What did I say?"

He smiled at her and left the room.

Sabrina sighed and fell backwards onto her sterilized pillows. She stared at her arms once more. The burns were gone, and so was the black.


	8. A Late-Night Chat

**Hey guys, school's kept me busy, but from now on I'm going to try and update at least once a week. Here's to keeping promises! **

_The only light in the room was a circle of red dots. They surrounded a dark figure that sat in the middle of them. There was a strange humming noise that permeated the room, almost making it vibrate. _

_The figure spoke in a whisper. "Are they all dead?" _

_A small note emitted from one of the dots._

"_Then find out!" the figure snarled. "How hard is it to kill a few humans?!" Several notes pinged from the dots. _

"_Same plan as before. And don't forget, I need him alive."_

Sabrina woke from her dream startled. Those red things were fairies. And the humming… she heard that before she fell. They must have dropped something on her head to make her fall. She remembered now that they had also been outside her window the night Puck had attacked her… no, rescued her.

"Oh, Puck…" Sabrina sighed.

Despite the dark of her room, a small card on the table next to her bed caught her attention. It was from Granny.

_**The hospital wants you to stay overnight. We'll pick you both up in the morning. –xoxo Granny**_

_Us both?_, Sabrina thought. That meant Puck was still here. Sabrina needed to talk to him.

Sabrina slid from her bed. Still aware of her nakedness, she took a blanket from the plastic mattress and wrapped it around her shoulders. That was a little bit better, but her feet were icy on the cold hospital floor. She quietly padded to the door and opened it. The hall was just as dark as her room. She shivered, but it wasn't from the cold.

Soft light illuminated the hall from the moon; it shined through the windows. She took an uneasy step. The sound of her bare foot on the polished tile sent an light echoed smack down the hall. Cringing, she took a more careful step keeping to the balls of her feet. This time there was no sound and Sabrina sighed, relieved.

She tiptoed down the hall searching the names next to each door. When she reached the end she had still not found Puck's. She grew anxious. The hospital couldn't be very big. Puck should be in this hall.

Sabrina walked the hall a second time quicker than the first. She nearly passed it, and when she saw it she had to force herself to keep from smacking herself as a punishment for her stupidity.

The room across from hers belonged to a 'Robin G.'. Of course they wouldn't have told the hospital Puck's real name.

Wanting to get out of the creepy hallway as fast as possible, Sabrina didn't wait to knock on the door. She opened it slowly, to make sure it wouldn't creak, and snuck inside shutting it quietly behind her. Puck's room was exactly the same as hers.

"Puck?" Sabrina whispered into the dark. She slowly walked to his bedside, her hands extended in front of her until she grasped his cold sheets in her clammy hands.

When Sabrina's eyes adjusted to the dark, she saw Puck's sleeping figure in the bed.

"Puck," she whispered. He didn't stir. She wiggled his arm, eliciting a moan from his parted lips. She wiggled him again and his eyes creaked open.

"Wha…? Grimm." Puck rubbed his eyes, sitting up in the bed.

"I need to talk to you."

He slowly rolled his eyes. "So talk."

"Look," she said as she lifted her arm. Even in the dark it was clear that her arm was fine.

"Yeah? What about it? You're cutting into my sleep time."

"I healed myself."

"What?" He raised an eyebrow at her. I always knew you were a freak, but that's not possible. You probably didn't even get burned."

Sabrina sat on the bed, looking him in the eye. "No, I did. Badly. And there's something else."

"OK, fine. What?"

"A couple of months ago, I woke up with my ears pointed." He looked about to speak again, but she stopped him. "That's not all. Ever since then, my skin has been turning black, starting with my heart. I thought people would see it, but when I woke up after the fire, it was all gone."

He looked at her, confused. "That doesn't make sense. Even if that is true, why are you telling me? You haven't exactly been opening up to me lately," he snorted.

"I just thought you might know what was going on… with me."

"Well, I don't."

"Something is happening to me! I can't figure out what it is and I'm sc-" she stopped."It's frustrating." She gave him her fiercest look. "Are you sure you don't know anything? Anything at all?"

"I've told you. Freakin' believe me already."

Neither of them spoke for several moments. Sabrina pulled her knees up to her chest.

The blanket surrounding Sabrina's shoulders dropped and Puck was distracted by the length of bare skin that stretched from the back of her neck to waist. The rest was hidden by her the blankets on his bed. His face turned a magnificent shade of red. She didn't notice the fallen blanket.

"You should go," he said, turning away from her, hoping to hide the blush.

"You're kicking me out?"

Puck said nothing.

"You're terrible," Sabrina said. He felt her stand from the bed. The sound of the door closing behind her resounded in his mind as well as the room.

He readjusted himself, taking several deep breaths. His hands released the blankets surrounding his groin. That had… never happened before. He shook his head vigorously. It seemed as though the image of Sabrina was imprinted on the back of his eyelids. He forced his mind to think about grapefruit instead. They were round and tasted nasty.

A moment later, Puck laid back on his pillow and sighed. Even if there was something wrong with Sabrina, what could he do about it? He had no idea what was going on with her. Well, not completely. The black was as strange to him as anything, but the ears… they were fairy ears. He wondered how long it would be before she figured that out.


End file.
